Guidelines for Discontinuing Programs; Supersedes EM 89-031

Executive Memorandum
01-014

August 09, 2001

Discontinuing a program requires approval from the campus community and may require approval from the Chancellor's Office.

Guidelines

A proposal to discontinue a program, consisting of a rationale and signature page/checklist/routing form (undergraduate program form link, graduate program form link) may be initiated within the college or by the Provost's Office through the campus academic master planning process. Appropriate units within the department and college will review the proposal.

If the results of the review support the proposal to discontinue the program, the results of this review and the proposal will be submitted to the Academic Senate for their review and recommendation. Graduate programs will be referred to the Graduate Council before being forwarded to the Academic Senate. Faculty in the affected department(s) will be consulted by the Senate and, in the case of graduate programs, by the Graduate Council.

The Academic Senate will submit its recommendation to the Provost who has been designated by the President to render final decision in regard to matters of program continuance.

The Provost will request approval from the Chancellor's Office for the campus action if the program being discontinued is an undergraduate or graduate degree program. Note: Discontinued options, patterns, minors, and certificates do not normally require Chancellor's Office approval, but the Chancellor's Office will be notified.

If a degree program is discontinued, students in the major at that time will be allowed to complete it. Should courses required in the discontinued major be eliminated, appropriate faculty in the program will identify substitute courses and help students to complete the necessary work to obtain the degree.

Notice that the program has been discontinued will be sent to advisers, units, and agencies involved in advising or providing information regarding programs on this campus.